Creating avatars

By engaging in a collaboration with TAFE Queensland, Saint Stephen’s College students are extending their knowledge and skills while working with first class-technology that will enhance their school projects quality, and increase their learning options and outcomes.

Year 10 students at Saint Stephen’s College are staying ahead of the pack by engaging in completing innovative team projects. The students work in teams to pursue their interests - whether creating an exciting invention, developing recreational spaces, solving transport or environmental problems, or working on specific scientific research projects.

“It is important as educators that we are preparing our students for an exciting future,” says Dr Sarah Standage, Team Projects Coordinator at Saint Stephen’s College in Coomera.

Members of one of the Year 10 teams, Team Mocaps, engaging in the Team Project Skills are Macey Williams, Ailish Mahoney and Mia Van Zyl. Together with their mentor, Ms Roz Comport, Team Mocaps had a vision to incorporate motion capture to create an advertisement that promotes healthy lifestyles to teenagers.

Saint Stephen’s College has partnered with TAFE Queensland Coomera to ensure the vision for their team project becomes a reality by using the world-class facilities available to students.

16-year-old Macey Williams said the Team Mocaps project is about getting young people involved with health and fitness, using motion capture to create a video to demonstrate different exercises that children can do at home.

“We thought using the motion capture would be more interesting than just a video of us doing exercises because children are generally more interested in animated characters,” said Macey.

“Showing children that fitness and exercise can be fun will hopefully promote more involvement in physical activity. Young people are impressionable and hopefully this will give them a positive impression at an early age,” she said.

“The technology at TAFE Queensland has opened our eyes to the possibilities of what we can do in future projects, instead of limiting ourselves to basic programs.”

“The experience has been very beneficial for me personally as I am looking to pursue a career in digital media."

Over the past term the students have been learning how to make animation videos using green screens and the light sensor suit through 3D technology. The project includes developing a website with an added video resource that encourages young children and their parents to perform exercise safely under the guidance of an avatar.

“We were able to access current 3D technology at TAFE Queensland and had the added benefit of an industry professional to assist and teach us on how to use the technology,” said Ailish Mahoney.

“I really enjoyed the experience, it was exciting to be able to use such professional facilities. Being in the green suit was amazing. I loved that I could watch myself as an avatar on the camera. I am also studying my Certificate III in Fitness, so I have the knowledge on how to perform the exercises correctly. That was my extra contribution to the project,” she said.

“We took turns using the program on the computer to create the skeleton needed for the animation,” said Mia van Zyl.

“Overall, the experience is one I will never forget and will have an impact on how I use technology in my future projects,” she said.

“Seeing how easy it actually is and having the opportunity has inspired me to use different parts of technology in my future school work, where I normally wouldn’t have.”

When the opportunity initially arose to use the motion capture facilities at TAFE Queensland Coomera, the girls were enthusiastic.

“Knowing that a unique experience would be theirs for the taking was really exciting to see unfold” says Dr Sarah Standage, Team Project Coordinator.

“The application of skills and the building of their vision, thanks to the collaboration with TAFE teacher, Justan Gregson, has been invaluable in helping the students to learn and apply meaningful skills,” she said.

“The students do foresee potential futures working within creative industries and it is exciting to be able to offer such a relevant and meaningful activity to them in Year 10 with the assistance of TAFE Queensland."

By engaging in a collaboration with TAFE Queensland, the Saint Stephen’s College students are extending their knowledge and skills while working with first-class technology that will enhance the project quality and increase their learning options and outcomes.